AHAVAT YISRAEL (“Love of Israel”) – NOT JUST A SLOGAN!

Mevaser Shalom is a social, non-profit organization based in Haifa and operating throughout the north of Israel. It was established in 1995 by Rabbi Avidan Hazzani in cooperation with several other families. The core of Mevaser Shalom was a small religious Zionist community, which, motivated by a commitment to social involvement, developed various outreach projects which have grown and expanded over the years..

Today, Mevaser Shalom has five main projects: the Family Study Program; a pre-nuptial educational project; a weekly food distribution program ((Ahava ve-Hesed); a post-high school yeshiva; and a midrsha (women’s seminar) offering courses to young women in the process of becoming religious. The young religious Zionist couples/families comprising the Mevaser Shalom community are idealistically oriented: for them, Ahavat Yisrael is indeed a way of life and not merely a slogan. Thus, all take part in one or more of the various projects of the nonprofit with a view to contributing to and strengthening the overall community.

Examples of their work can be seen in activities of the last calendar year (2014). During that time, Mevaser Shalom distributed over 7,000 food parcels to needy families throughout Haifa. As another part of its Ahava ve-Hesed project, help and support were also given to a battered women’s shelter and to needy families who are listed with the welfare agencies. The Family Study Program provided courses, workshops and seminars focusing on strengthening the family structure in these modern, challenging times. The courses were offered throughout much of the north of the country . The pre-nuptial project accomplished a dual purpose of training course teachers as well as offering counseling to over 100 brides-to-be (both religious and secular). The community families and members also provided ongoing individual guidance for the young women and men who study at the midrasha and yeshiva. (Some of the latter have, over the years, even joined the Mevaser Shalom community themselves.)

Who are we?

Rabbi Avidan Hazzani: Founder and president of Mevaser Shalom. Rabbi Hazzani also officiates as rabbi of the two Sephardi congregations of the Ramat Eshkol and Ahuza neighborhoods in Haifa.

Avi Flax: Chairman. Avi made Aliyah from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Haifa, where he met Rabbi Hazzani. He became an active and influential member of Mevaser Shalom.